Cosmik Debris' Staff Picks The Top Five Releases Of 2002

It's that time again. Time for the writers of Cosmik Debris, full time and contributors, to let you know what they think the best music of 2002 was. So ready or not, here it comes!

DJ JOHNSON
As usual, picking a top five was a ritual of agony, though the number one spot was a lock. That, too, seems to be the case with me year after year. This time around, I felt the honorable mentions were almost as important as the top picks, as each of them were on and off that list several times before it was finalized. So here we go.
5) WESTSIDE DAREDEVILS: All Things Small Produce A Spark (Lynn Point)
Knoxville, Tennessee's Westside Daredevils' debut CD was a knockout. A powerpop album with all the right stuff: ringing chords in clever progressions, perfect harmonies and well-conceived production that doesn't feel like product. Above all, very good songs. It's on an indie label, so it's easy to miss if you're not looking for it, but if you're a fan of good pop music and bands that do just about everything right, you owe it to yourself to give this band a spin.
4) THE WITCHES: On Parade (Fall Of Rome)
Troy Gregory and crew came back with more authentically spooky songs from Detroit. This time around there was a surprising addition. Eugene Strobe, who until recently had played extremely energetic and exciting drums with The Sights, became The Witches' new guitarist and primary co-songwriter (along with Gregory). Serious talent. The CD arrived just in time for Halloween, and if you know The Witches, you know the music is perfect for those who want real chills. It's a vibe, not a blatant fright-night lyric, and nobody delivers that vibe like The Witches. Since I'm pickin' 'em, and Halloween is my Christmas, this CD is like a religious document. Far and away the best of the dozens and dozens of Halloween releases this year.
3) MATTHEW SHIPP: Nu Bop (Thirsty Ear)
The most innovative and brilliant jazz pianist alive took yet another new direction last year after projects with David S. Ware and Spring Heel Jack got him interested in electronic keyboards. Guillermo E. Brown's superb drumming featured embellishments from electronic drums, fitting in nicely with Shipp's tasteful experiments, and producer/programmer Chris Flam (DJ Spooky/A Guy Called Gerald) joined with bassist William Parker to form a most unusual avant-garde jazz quartet, one that took interesting chances with spectacular results. Strangely enough, the most thrilling sound was still Shipp's acoustic piano, cutting through the storm like a bell. Shipp is always interesting, always a candidate for a top 5 slot, and always worth discovering, if you haven't already. What's even more amazing is that even if you have, he reinvents himself so often that you can discover him all over again, usually once a year.
2) RICKIE LEE JONES: Live At Red Rocks (Artemis)
Though it was released in early December of last year, I received it the following month and reviewed it a month after that, qualifying it for this list. As I said in my original review, Rickie Lee Jones does two kinds of concerts: those where she is in a crummy mood and you go home feeling as crummy, and those where she is pure magic. I've attended both kinds, and this is clearly a recording of a magical performance, with Jones in perfect form and an enchanted audience eating out of her hands. Her harshest critics have always said she has all the talent in the world but lacks consistency and focus. Well, here's a document of a night when every positive element was shining bright and Rickie Lee Jones was at her very best.
1) DIVISION OF LAURA LEE: Black City (Burning Heart/Epitaph)
Since the day this CD arrived, DOLL have been my favorite band. Unfairly compared to The Hives and every other Swedish band by the US press simply because they, too, are from Sweden, Division Of Laura Lee sound nothing like any of them, creating a powerful, heady, often dark and always dangerous kind of psych-punk that's as addictive as smack. How so? Well, I listen to it at least once a day, sometimes twice. You can take my money, take my car, but leave my DOLL CD, please, mister. Swedish invasion? There IS no other great Swedish band. Just some very good ones and Division of Laura Lee.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
KEVIN WELCH & THE DANES' Millionaire, released on his own Dead Reckoning label, is the country-Americana artist's absolute best yet. There was no sophomore jinx for the one-man powerpop band as ED JAMES' Poprocket reached even greater heights than his fantastic debut, Meet Ed James. The SUPERBEES blasted out of the garage at High Volume with one of the most rawkin' and promising debuts of the year. Vancouver's Mint label gets two thumbs up, one for Tennessee Twin, the joyfully witty alt country band fronted by Cindy Wolfe (identical sister of Bratmobile's Alison Wolfe) and one for the return of Volumizer. TENNESSEE TWIN's Free To Do What? had twang, humor, and the kind of attitude you could expect from a band that left the states because they didn't want to live in a George Bush-led America. VOLUMIZER was hot almost a quarter of a century ago when they were led by a bundle of energy named Jade Blade who was also a hottie and a kickass guitarist. All these years later she's settled into life as Professor Jill Bain of the art history department at University College of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, BC. Somehow or another someone got the gang together for Gaga For Gigi, and damned if it wasn't one of the most lethal discs of the year. I guess age IS a state of mind. In the Afro-Cuban scene, OMAR SOSA graced us with Sentir, a beautiful, brooding, stormy and often exciting set of tunes built on percussion, piano, vocals in different languages and even poetry. A true treasure. Finally, two compilations deserve mention. Rhino's 80s Pop Culture Box may have had a lot of songs you've seen on other Rhino collections, but at 7 discs huge, it had plenty you haven't, and it was all packaged very nicely. My personal favorite collection, though, was the 2-CD set of unreleased songs from the vaults of Motown. Appropriately named A Cellarful Of Motown, it gave us a chance to fall in love with fantastic songs we'd never heard, loaded with that classic Motown sound, and that was something special. That's it from me. See you next year.

RON SARANICH
In alphabetical order:
MILES DAVIS: Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige)
MILES DAVIS: Steamin' With The Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige)
Timeless music by one of the best groups in the history of Jazz, featuring Miles Davis on trumpet, John Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Both were recorded in 1956 and remastered this past year in glorious 20-Bit K2 Super Coding System sound. The songs are a combination of ballads, standards, and classic jazz numbers that never sound trite or banal. Similar to Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Davis and Coltrane must be listed among the best horn teams ever. As Tom Piazza states "Davis had found the ideal sparring partner: voluble where he was laconic, hot where he was cool (at least on the surface). Yet at the heart of each man's playing lay a paradox; Davis, for all his cool, could make you cry by playing eight bars of a ballad, and Coltrane, for all his fire, at least during this period had something cold at the center of his piercing tone." Red Garland on piano is simply perfect whether soloing or comping, and the rhythm section of Chambers and Jones performs flawlessly.
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS: Legend (Tuff Gong)
The original recording was a classic, covering music from 1972 until 1981, when Marley died of cancer. However, Tuff Gong has remastered the sound and added two bonus cuts, "Fast Skanking" and "Punky Reggae Party." The result, once again, is reggae at its finest, with every cut a winner. The music is uplifting, positive and joyous, great for one's soul. Marley's love songs are among the finest ever written, a perfect blend of lyrics and music. Among my favorite numbers are "Waiting In Vain," "Is This Love," and "Stir It Up." Definite desert island material as the song renditions never get old. Enjoy.
HANK MOBLEY: Thinking Of Home (Blue Note)
Mobley, one of the founding members (along with Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Kenny Dorham, and Doug Watkins) of the Jazz Messengers, was a great tenor saxophonist as well as a major composer. His tenor playing helped create the Blue Note sound. Thinking Of Home was Mobley's last album for Blue Note. He appeared as a sideman on one other recording before his failing health forced him to retire from music. On this album Mobley plays with a funky, relaxed feel that perfectly suits his wonderfully intricate compositions. Joined by Woody Shaw on trumpet, Eddie Diehl on guitar, Cedar Walton on piano, the aptly named Mickey Bass on bass, and Leroy Williams on drums, Mobley created a challenging and inventive final jazz statement. Thanks to Blue Note for reissuing it as part of their Connoisseur series.
ROLLING STONES: Forty Licks (Virgin)
Forty of the best songs from the Stones, arguably the best rock and roll band of all time. Covers four decades, beginning with the sixties. It is a testament to the band's greatness that 40 selections still leave many major numbers on the cutting room floor. For example, not included are "Time Is On My Side," "Play With Fire," "2000 Light Years From Home," "Lady Jane," or "Waiting On A Friend" to name five omitted classic rock songs. There are four new pieces, so fans can argue why they are included here while one of their personal favorites is missing. Arranged almost thematically rather than chronologically, the two disks flow wonderfully and, I might add, rapidly. Before you realize it, hours have passed. I know, its only rock and roll, but I like it!
SONNY ROLLINS: Ballads (Blue Note)
The great Sonny Rollins in a collection of ballads, how can the listener go wrong? Rollins, a brilliantly creative musician, plays tenor saxophone with urgency and passion throughout, crafting one superb solo after another. Whether the setting is live with just bass and drums, or a small group studio session, this music is original and imaginative. I never get tired of hearing Sonny play and you won't either. Songs include "I Can't Get Started," "Namely You," "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?," and "Softly As A Morning Sunrise." Hear why Rollins, along with Coltrane, was considered the top tenor saxophonist of the fifties.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
FREDDIE HUBBARD: Open Sesame. Hubbard's first date as a leader for Blue Note, recorded when he was only twenty two, is a scorcher. Joined by Tina Brooks on tenor and McCoy Tyner, age twenty one, Hubbard produced a jazz classic. Reissued over forty years after it was first recorded, the music sounds as fresh and challenging as ever. ALBERT KING: Born Under A Bad Sign. A Blues masterpiece with every song a memorable piece of blues history. King's playing is as hot, heartfelt, and urgent as any blues guitarist. Backed by Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, Isaac Hayes, and other great Memphis musicians, King reached the heights of recorded blues. A must for all fans of the genre. ART PEPPER & THE HOLLYWOOD ALL-STARS: Art Standards. Compiled from the larger five cd boxed set originally recorded from 1979 to 1982, this consists of sixty-five minutes of classic standards made to sound fresh and reinvigorated by Pepper and his fellow musicians. Pepper burns with intensity throughout, riveting the listener with his creativity and passion. The cuts with Sonny Stitt on alto are worth the price of this cd. JIMMY SMITH: Cool Blues. Recorded during a creative height in Smith's career, this live set gets to the essence of jazz. Joined by Lou Donaldson on alto, Tina Brooks on tenor, Eddie McFadden on guitar, and either Art Blakey or Donald Bailey on drums, Smith produced a magical album. Hard to believe Smith had only played organ for two years at the time this record was taped, as he sounds like he invented the instrument. A must for all jazz fans.

JASON THORNBERRY

THE BLACK HEART PROCESSION: Amore Del Tropico (Touch and Go)
While not as instantly gripping as their previous albums, this one is a grower like your momma's beard. It took a few listens to really feel where the band was heading, but don't records like this one tend to stay with you longer as a result? BHP get some definite props for using a samba rhythm on the opening track, which, initially, seemed very out of character (almost sunny) for these pensive musicians (ex members of Three Mile Pilot and Clikitat Ikatowi). I actually thought I had the wrong cd on when they got started, and pressed 'EJECT' to make sure. Amore Del Tropico catches them in an experimental mindset, which I found both gutsy and refreshing. Yes, the Black Heart Procession have done what a zillion bands in the past have failed to do successfully: evolve.
MC PAUL BARMAN: Paullelujah! (Coup d'etat)
Aren't you sick of Anticon yet? Those awkward, funkless, honkey muthafuckahs. Incapable of rhymes, flows, or danceable beats, they somehow make Del Tha Funkee Homosapien seem dangerous. The alternative is this blonde douche who only seems to exist to A) annoy me, or B) give jocks in high school someone to relate to. MC Paul Barman is a rapper who's too rude for the backpacking geeks, and far too intelligent to be mistaken for a chocolate-covered peanut. The production from MF Doom, Prince Paul, and Dan Prothero kept me flipping back to the beginning of each song. "Gas burps from fast slurps come back in blast/chirps through the esophagus. It smells like a sarcophagus." On "Cock Mobster" Paul informs us that he'd "jizz early inside Liz Hurley". Me too.
STEINSKI: Nothing to Fear (A Rough Mix) (Solid Steel)
If you appreciate hip-hop than you need to get your hands on this (somehow). It doesn't appear to be extremely easy to acquire, but it'd be well worth hunting for. I've been searching for anything by Steinski (aka Steve Stein of Double Dee & Steinski fame) for eons now. With his old partner, Steinski approved the blueprints for hip-hop, and helped perpetuate the very appropriate James Brown reverence that's gone on for years now in all urban music. If, like me, you make "To Do" lists, at the very top should be that you not only find this album, but also listen to the three 'Lessons' singles DD&S created in the early eighties. This one has my vote for release of the year.
SWANS: Feel Good Now (Atavistic)
Reissued and dusted off from an early grave, this 1987 release by New York's (and really the Western world's) Kings of Catharsis shows them live and unspeakably loud while on tour for my favorite album they ever did, Children of God (same year). Ted Parsons (an amazing drummer) gets the chair for this tour, and helped align their sizable bottom-end (two bassists) with the sheet-metal noise of the guitars. On top of everything was the voice of one Michael Gira, who taught Henry Rollins and Lee Dorrian alike a thing or two about emotive vocalizing.
THE WILD BUNCH: Story of a Sound System (Strut/Junior)
The boys in question are legendary for encapsulating/dominating the eighties party scene in Bristol and eventually splintering off into a little-known commodity known as Massive Attack. Mixed by the legendary DJ Milo, this twenty-six track album fuses the old school hip-hop of Spoonie Gee to highly danceable R&B, to eighties electro jams courtesy of Evelyn "Champagne" King. The album comes with an educational booklet too. Is this a snapshot into the world of the early Bristol hip-hop scene, i.e. a place where milestones like "Blue Lines" were gestating? Buy it and find out.

RUSTY PIPES

LEMON JELLY: Lost Horizons (Impotent Fury)
This English duo, Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen, has several releases but this is their first major puddle jumper. Beautifully produced it's an amazing amalgam of electronics and more traditional instruments. The vocals are all not sung for the most part, making Lost Horizon all the more amazing. They aren't just dealing in goofy repeated samples, they like to tell stories.
GABOR CSUPO: Kalmopyrin (Tone Casualties)
This is the 2002 album I most consistently play around the house. Csupo has a very nice feel for melody on an electronic album that he did pretty much all by himself in the hours that he wasn't animating The Simpsons and The Wild Thornberrys.
DAVID BOWIE: Heathen (ISO/Columbia)
Simply the best Bowie album in years! And the only Bowie album in years! David teams up again with producer Tommy Visconti and gives us the best of his vintage sound while still sounding very 21st Century.
PETER GABRIEL: Up (Geffen)
Wonderfully dark and mysterious, Up is not as easily accessible as some of Gabriel's work like In Your Eyes or Secret World, but it's still the best Art Rock of the year.
LOUIE DEVITO: New York Underground Volume 5 (Musicrama)
Louie released an amazing amount of dance compilations this year and New York Underground Party Volume 5 is the best, a double treasure trove of the most danceable tracks around. Maybe the hippest club crawlers have heard all these before, but once in Louie's mix, these tunes stop being underground and turn into hits.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
THE BEARS' Car Caught Fire, which could easily have been a Best 5 but it officially came out in 2001. RICHARD CHEESE and LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Tuxicity is by far the best comedy release of the year, and much better produced than the first Lounge Against The Machine effort, NEVER HEARD OF IT's Limited Edition gets a nod for its playful energy. The best Old School rap was found on JURASSIC 5's unabashedly revolutionary Power In Numbers. There's a tie for the 2002's Best Dance Single between NELLY's "Hot In Here" and NO DOUBT's "Hey Baby." The only criterion is how well it gets the crowd moving on the floor, and both of these certainly do.

DAN FORTE
As usual, I'm cheating by splitting my choices into New Stuff (projects newly recorded and released in 2002) and Old Stuff (reissues, compilations, previously unearthed gems). If I mixed the two into one batch, it would inevitably be monopolized by Old Stuff; in fact, this year Charlie Musselwhite would probably be the only new CD to poke through. Which is as good a place to start as any.
NEW STUFF:
CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE: One Night In America (Telarc)
At 58, the harmonica legend is in peak form, continuing to push himself and the blues envelope -- this time covering Los Lobos and Johnny Cash, dabbling in gospel, country and "Americana" with superb results. My favorite CD of the year.
LOS LOBOS: Good Morning Azatlan (Mammoth)
These guys are my favorite band in the world simply because I love their music. They also continue to challenge themselves, never compromising their artistic vision or integrity. Probably not a coincidence.
PAUL ASBELL: Steel String Americana (Busy Hands Records)
A mostly solo, mostly acoustic, long-overdue debut by this veteran Vermont guitarist, who illustrates that (in the right hands) Blind Blake, George Gershwin, Jerry Reed and Carole King have more in common than one might think.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Happy Birthday, Buck! (Texas Round-Up)
The brainchild of Austin Tele-bender/producer Casper Rawls and an offshoot of his yearly Buck Owens birthday tributes, this salute features Rodney Crowell, Rosie Flores, Jim Lauderdale, David Ball and others, as well as a live version of the King of Bakersfield himself, from 1995, when he made a surprise visit to Austin to join in the festivities.
THE TORQUAYS: Somewhere In California (Tork-A-Disk)
The third and best effort yet by this instrumental surf quartet from Southern California. This time, the program is all originals, played with just the right combination of authenticity and humor.
OLD STUFF:
THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND (and friends): Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Capitol)
Thirty years ahead of O Brother, Where Art Thou? and much more ambitious (and consistent), the deluxe reissue of this ground-breaking, generation-bridging landmark was welcome, indeed.
MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT: Live (Vanguard)
Originally released in 1971 as The Best Of Mississippi John Hurt, this 1965 concert at Oberlin College should be required listening for anyone who thinks blues is, by definition, "sad music." Guaranteed to make you smile and tap your foot.
WARREN ZEVON: Genius: The Best Of Warren Zevon (Elektra/Rhino)
Two CDs spanning 26 years; proof that razor sharp wit, intelligence, backbone and literary scope (while they might be rare as hell) do exist in pop music. His latest, My Ride Is Here, could also sub for nearly anything listed under New Stuff.
THE GEORGE SHEARING/CANNONBALL ADDERLY QUINTETS: At Newport (Pablo)
Never-released live sets from 1957, when Cannonball still sounded a lot like Bird and had Junior Mance on piano, and Shearing's quintet featured vibist Emil Richards and Toots Thielemans on guitar (not the instrument he became more famous on, harmonica). Cannonball on alto and brother Nat on trumpet join Shearing's set for a song before the pianist brings Armando Peraza (later Santana's conga player) up to sit in. What a find!
JOHNNY CASH: Ride This Train (Columbia/Legacy)
Honoring the legend it once discarded, Columbia released a two-disc Essential overview of Cash, but it was the expanded versions of his original LPs that really hit the mark. Which one of them should occupy this slot is a tough call, but this 1960 concept album showed early in his career that The Man In Black transcended the label of merely a "country singer."

ERIC STEINER
January is my favorite Cosmik month. Check it out: I've got five of my favorite CDs below, and if you click on my blues column this month, you'll get some of my favorite blues music of 2002, plus some honorable blues mentions, too. Don't forget Everything Else in Review, 'cause I hold court on my favorite books of 2002. That said, here are my favorite CDs of 2002 from artists who don't play the blues.
THE FLATLANDERS: Now Again (New West)
Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock have finally reunited as The Flatlanders, more than 30 years after their debut 8-track that's been a cult favorite among roots-Americana fans. After that set, Joe, Jimmie Dale and Butch each went their separate ways to distinguished careers as singer-songwriters. Joe Ely's work has included genre-defining honky tonk from Austin, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore grew into one of Texas' most accomplished singer-songwriters. Butch Hancock's songwriting has been covered by Ely ("She Never Spoke Spanish to Me") and Emmylou Harris ("If I Was a Bluebird"), among others. Now Again may be a little too mellow for fans expecting a more raucous Joe Ely like when he opened for The Clash 20 years ago, but for me, it's one of the most enjoyable and relaxing CDs to come out in a long, long time. When I want to experience a less complicated time, I return to Now Again and the stories of West Texas and some authentic country and western. This is true American country without the neon, and closer to the music of Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, and, well, the original Flatlanders.
DON NIX AND FRIENDS: Going Down (Evidence)
There's been a lot of tribute CDs out over the past few years, and I've passed the vast majority of them by. When I played Going Down by Don Nix and several of his friends, I realized just how enjoyable these records could be. If you haven't heard Don Nix, you've probably heard his music. Jeff Beck recorded "Black Cat Moan" on the Beck, Bogart and Appice LP, which Don produced 30 years ago. During his career, Don's recorded seven albums and produced 55 other projects with the likes of Leon Russell, Freddie King, and George Harrison. Don's "Going Down" has been covered by John Lee Hooker, Freddie King, and J.J. Cale, and Don reprises that career-defining song with Brian May, Leslie West, Audley Freed and producer Jon Tiven on guitars, Max Middleton and Bobby Whitlock on keyboards, and Bonnie Bramlett on background vocals. Pure magic. Nix was a member of Memphis' Mar-Kays, one of the original bands that launched the Stax sound in the 1960s. Going Down is an enjoyable CD from start to finish and there's plenty of 70s-style searing guitars, Southern boogie, and fine songwriting to make this a fine party record. American rock and roll at its best from the pen of a great songwriter.
JAMES MCMURTRY: Saint Mary Of The Woods (Sugar Hill)
I'd be lying if I weren't the first in line at the record store for a new James McMurtry release. His third Sugar Hill CD, after It Had to Happen and Walk Between the Raindrops, landed on my top five list of 2002 for the same reasons McMurtry's long been one of my favorite singer-songwriters. It's James' stories that keep me coming back again and again. They're not often bright, and more often than not, they tell the stories of people in society's shadows. Saint Mary of the Woods takes us through some pretty rough emotional terrain, including "tractor pulls and Red Man chew/corporate relo refugees that need love too/Ain't seen Elvis in a year or two." McMurtry and his band rock a little harder on "Lobo Town," the sultry "Red Dress," and the 8-minute rollicking "Choctaw Bingo." In addition to the electric guitar, James has added keyboards that help flesh out his full-band sound nicely. McMurtry's images of throwing dice, dipping snuff, poured bourbon on a fresh grave, and folks who make crystal meth out back ("'cause the 'shine don't sell") all tell me that McMurtry's back in fine songwriting form.
O.A.R.: Any Time Now (Everfine)
O.A.R. plays what they call "island vibe roots rock," but that doesn't tell the full story. O.A.R., shorthand for Of A Revolution, released one of my favorite conscious party records of 2002. This 2-CD set captures them live at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., and the only thing better than Any Time Now is O.A.R. live. I had the good fortune of seeing them live at Seattle's Moore Theatre last year, and it was truly a roots rock celebration. My favorites from that show are on Any Time Now, including "Black Rock," "Conquering Fools," and "City on Down." Their shows and word of mouth buzz have helped them sell over 150,000 records from the back of their van or across the merch table, all without a major label or radio play! On the CD, the infectious ska of "That Was a Crazy Game of Poker" is a treat as is "Night Shift" which morphs into "Stir It Up" with the help of guest guitarist Junior Marvin, formerly of Bob Marley and the Wailers. For a roots band, you can't get a better endorsement than one of the Wailers sitting in.
MANA: Revolucion De Amor (Warner Brothers Mexico)
I admit right up front that I first discovered this Mexican band a couple of years ago while I was sipping adult beverages poolside in Mazatlan, Mexico. With each round of drinks, they sounded better and better. Since then, I've been back to the Pearl of the Pacific several times, and heard them on Spanish language radio here in the USA. Their 1999 release Unplugged has sold 3 million copies, and Revolucion de Amor is the band's first studio release in five years. For me, Mana's music continues to transcend the language barrier, but perhaps more importantly, Mana has been a gateway to a new world of musica Latina. Their newest CD has all the passion and first class musicianship that have earned this Guadalajara-based band four Grammys. There's an entire world of music out there that just happens to be in Spanish, and Mana has opened my musical horizons in a big way. I've said it before on these screens and I'll say it again: Discoveries like Mana are truly muy bueno.

SKIP HELLER

URI CAINE: Solitaire (Winter & Winter)
It's a lead pipe cinch that whatever Uri makes will likely be among my favorite things in any year, but SOLITAIRE points up to why he's my favorite contemporary pianist. Mostly original tunes this time out, save for covers of the standard "All The Way" and the Beatles' "Blackbird." The miraculous thing about the latter is that finally there's a Beatles cover that doesn't suck. Uri's an amazing pianist of vast technical resources. He's also got a lot of intellect, humor, and heart. So a record of him by himself letting things happen is about as good as it gets.
JONI MITCHELL: Travelogue (Nonesuch)
Two discs of Joni's best tunes with a serious string backing (arranged gorgeously by Vince Mendoza) and an all-star rhythm section (including Herbie Hancock and Brian Blade). While it's Joni at her vocal best (which is saying something), the real stars are the songs, and she, the band, and the arrangements are in beautiful service to them. Mendoza seems to have based his string charts largely around what Joni herself played on the original versions. I've always been a fan of her playing, so I'm all about that approach. Instead of the usual "vocalist with strings" album where the role playing often defeats any kind of truly purposeful creating, Mendoza really arranged knowing that the call was for Joni Mitchell music, and he's given us some of the most glorious examples of it we've heard in years.
NRBQ: Atsa My Band (Big Notes)
THE BLASTERS: Trouble Bound (Hightone)
The two greatest bands in the world doing stuff better than anybody can hope to, yet so many try to. Why I refuse to lose faith in rock'n'roll.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Think Of The Good Times: The Tuscon '60'S Sound (Dionysus)
No doubt the classiest job Lee Joseph has ever done on a reissue (and that's saying something). Anthologizing the garage bands of his hometown, Lee presents an overview of '60's Tuscon as a hotbed of garage rock. All meat, no fat, all killer, no filler, and just great no-pretense pop-psyche-rock'n'roll all the way through. I'm still not moving there, though.

SHAUN DALE
DJ Johnson is not only the estimable Editor-In-Chief of Cosmik Debris, he's my friend and a generally terrific guy. I say generally rather than universally because once a year, around the middle of December or so, he reveals a sadistic streak that strikes fear into the hearts of Cosmik staffers everywhere. "Pick five," he implores, "and only five. Write 'em up and send 'em in. Now."
Yep, after reviewing hundreds of albums, and sorting through hundreds more in the process, every year Deej wants my top five. It's typically an excruciating process, he knows it, and yet my annual pain of selection never stays his hand. "Pick five, and only five." Every year.
Ouch.
Except I fooled him this time. This time it didn't hurt. This time there really were five that just jumped to the head of my list. And what I said about them the first time around still holds, so my remarks just need a little editing for length. Sorry, Deej, you'll have to find someone else to torture this year.
You may not have heard all of these - you probably haven't heard *of* some of them unless you're among my most loyal readers (and I should really thank both of you personally) but you really should hear them, own them, play them over and over again. They really are some of the best music I have, from any year.
So, in no particular order...
STEW: The Naked Dutch Painter (Smile)
In a world populated by uncounted songwriters and performers, Stew is a singular talent. He writes songs about people you've always known but never met, and people you hope you never meet but somehow want to know more about. Songs about situations you remember fondly without experiencing them and about situations you seem to have lived through without noticing until he describes them back to you. He writes amazing songs.
And he sings them in a fashion that draws you in, creates a new space around you wherever you may be and then sets you back into a world that's somehow changed. He does that with a vocal precision that won't allow you to miss the point. He's an amazing singer. This is his second solo album. It's an amazing CD.
You couldn't possibly have missed this one, right? I'd be amazed.
CHRISTINE KANE: Rain And Mud And Wild And Green (Big Fat Music)
Christine Kane writes songs that make you care about the people she writes songs about. Christine Kane writes songs that make you want to see the places she's seen. Christine Kane writes songs that make me want to look up her phone number, call her and offer to be her new best friend. Christine Kane writes terrific songs. Then she goes and sings and plays them just as well as she writes them.
There's fall on your face funny songs and cry in your beer sad songs, witty songs and gritty songs, songs you'll want to share with the world and songs you'll want to hold close to your heart.
Rain And Mud And Wild And Green is smart and funny and true and wonderful.
CARRIE NEWCOMER: The Gathering Of Spirits (Philo)
Carrie Newcomer writes songs that will raise your spirits, exercise your intellect and make you laugh out loud. Her expressive alto voice adapts to each of those purposes well, sinking and soaring as befits the message of the song she's performing. What's most striking, though, is how she crafts those messages so that they're clearly expressed without falling into routine topicality or a sense of preachiness. Although there's a definite spiritual element to much of the material, it's delivered more as a prayer than a sermon, as she enlists the empathy of her audience by finding philosophical points of common ground.
Carrie Newcomer writes songs that make me feel better about being alive, and that's reason enough to put this one on my best of '02 list.
RAILROAD EARTH: Bird In A House (Sugar Hill)
While a host of jambands lined up as the Grateful Dead ended their 30 plus year run and the heirs apparent, Phish, went on hiatus, a group of veterans of the New Jersey/Pennsylvania circuit teamed up and jumped to the front of the pack.
They hew a little closer to the bluegrass tradition than some similar acts, but they can definitely rock when they want to, with the greatest evidence of their traditional bent coming through as a level of discipline that's too rare among groups in this category. When it's time to take a tune and run with it, a free spirit is a fine thing, but there has to be a tune to run with in the first place, and lead singer and principle songwriter Todd Sheaffer supplies solid song structure for his accomplices to play, and play with.
If you're a jamband fan you'll love this one, but it's a true rarity because you don't *have* to be a jamband fan to love it. You just have to like great songs, well played.
HEATHER MYLES: Sweet Talk & Good Lies (Rounder)
This is the kind of country music that country radio never plays - you know, the good stuff. Myles is a throwback to the days when Merle, Tammy and Loretta controlled the country airwaves with well crafted songs about real people and real emotions. "Never Had A Broken Heart" was the designated single, although I might have picked another track (I'm particularly taken by "Big Cars," her duet with Dwight Yoakum on "Little Chapel," "Sweet Little Dangerous" and her deeply effective cover of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix"....hell, I just love the whole damn album), but I'd be delighted to hear anything on the album fill my car when I push the country station button, which gets used less and less these days.
That's it. Those five got me through the last year, and they'll serve you well in the next one. Now if five more that good will just show up in the next 12 months...

ERICK MERTZ

SIGUR ROS: ( ) (MCA)
Favorite record of the year, fastly becoming one of my favorite records of all time. Warm like a blanket, yet bold enough to turn a cold shoulder without feeling a whimsy of remorse, ( ) has all the requisite motion and stillness to be marked an aural classic. Sigur Ros is the quintessential post-modern band, making soundscapes which draw on classical elements and raw psychedelia: sumptuous.
FLAMING LIPS: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Warner)
Having finally received long overdue praise for The Soft Bulletin, the Lips didn't drop the ball on their follow up. Yoshimi is a graphic novel of an album, funny and smart like Frank Zappa dictating dreamscapes for Daniel Clowes to draw. Concept albums are definitely cool - this one is among the coolest.
GLENN GOULD: A State of Wonder (Sony)
Sure, this is a classical album, but hear me out. Sony has brought together a 3 disc set, chronicling the complete Goldberg Variations as performed by Gould first in 1955 and again in 1981, just days before he succumbed to a stroke. This album allows the listener a play by play comparison of one of the most beautiful compositions imaginable and an insightful interview. Bach has never sounded so good - an artist such as Gould is rarely so well documented, from mercurial youth to failing old man.
BECK: Sea Change (Interscope)
This isn't exactly the reinvention most pundits dub it - I feel there is little different here than on Mutations, but putting Sea Change at number four shows how much I enjoyed a redux of that album. Beck is making real music right now, which is maybe what the mainstream press is trying to hit on with their praise. Ultimately Sea Change will fit into the Beck catalog like Led Zeppelin's III did for Plant, Page and Company; did I mention how much I like that album?
JAMES: Getting Away With It (Sanctuary)
Au revoir boys, au revoir. Sure it's live, but it stands as a complete document for a band whose sets were incomparable. This will save many a fan from the malaise accompanying their recent split, myself included.
DISHONORABLE MENTIONS:
MOBY 18: Wasn't this released a few years ago under the name Play? Repetition for effect isn't working. DJ SHADOW Private Press: Better had this been kept private; another in a long line of self-indulgent rehashes in 2002. Entroducing showed such promise too. NICKELBACK Silver Side Up: A late 2001 effort sure, but it was so prominent in 2002 that it is applicable. This is yucky mainstream strip club music with less soul than a pair of 9 year old Converse All-Stars. Go away.

BILL HOLMES

ULTIMATE FAKEBOOK: Open Up And Say Awesome (Initial)
When Sony gobbled up Ultimate Fakebook's sophomore record a couple of years back and reissued it, I thought it was only a matter of time before this Midwest band broke huge. Somehow Sony dropped the ball, and then later, the band. But Bill McShane took his unique vocals, thunderous powerpop trio and solid work ethic and continued to launch clubs across America twenty feet off the ground. Now, finally, their third album has landed and should establish them as the logical successors to the vacant throne once occupied by Cheap Trick, The Replacements and Redd Kross. If anyone ever gets to hear it, that is. If they don't, it won't be the band's fault - they play 200 nights a year. McShane is an emotional and powerful songwriter, and his songs of teenage angst and unrequited love rival Moe Berg (The Pursuit Of Happiness) for lyrical genius. With stellar production, as always, by Ed Rose, Open Up And Say Awesome rocks hard and has three no-brainer hit singles in "Inside Me, Inside You," "When I'm With You, I'm OK" and "Goddamn Dance Craze." Of course, in my universe, this number extends to at least six, while the other half of the record has to settle for just being great. Open Up And Say Awesome started strong and held fast as the best record of 2002.
DIAMOND DOGS: Too Much Is Always Better Than Not Enough (Changes One)
With Ronnie Lane dead and Rod Stewart singing ballads, a Faces reunion looks improbable. Chris Robinson broke up the Black Crowes, and Buckcherry imploded. Fear not, rhythm and booze fans - cross the Big Pond to the UK and Europe where John Plain, Darrell Bath, The Crybabys and especially The Diamond Dogs are carrying the torch loud and proud. Whipping together every Mott and Faces reference known to man (the title is a takeoff on the classic Faces platter A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse), this rocking group of Swedes (!) crafted a kickass rock and roll offering that should be installed in every car stereo as standard equipment. The album opens full-bore with barrelhouse piano and a horn section accentuating the melody of "Charity Song" and doesn't let up until the sweet instrumental "I Shall Not Be Moved" (Ron Wood fans will fail the blindfold test on that one). I don't know if there are six or eight members in the band - it sounds like a hundred - but this band absolutely smokes! The first time I heard "Bound To Ravage" take the seed of "Borstal Boys" and turn it on its ear I almost drove the car through a wall. Changes One is a small but resilient UK label with an incredible ear for talent, but none are better than these guys.
CRACKER: Forever (Virgin)
It's been a long trip from college radio oddballs to (gulp) elder statesmen of the alternative genre, but David Lowery and Johnny Hickman are still up to the task. Forever is a landmark statement from a band thought to have closed the doors after its recent anthology. Though the opening track "Brides Of Neptune" seems sedate and normal, it works in a line about being "guarded by monkeys" (which is also the title of track four), and it's all Cracker-land after that. Hickman is the star of the record, especially shining on "Merry Christmas Emily" (Ron Wood incarnate) and "One Fine Day," where Cracker slides into Built To Spill territory. Longtime Cracker fans will love the inside jokes and banter in the closer "What You're Missing," with lines like "that's Cracker with a C not a K or an Uncle." Like the cover illustrates, Cracker has always been the trailer trash of alternative radio, and damned proud of it. Forever boasts a wide variety of styles all done well, with a sense of humor and great chops.
PETER WOLF: Sleepless (Artemis)
Those still associating Peter Wolf with jackrabbit jumps and tawdry MTV videos fronting the J Geils Band should wander over to the cool side of the record store and take a better look. Wolf still has the energy and bite of his younger alter ego, but has used his six-album solo career to delve further and further into his love of roots music. His last album, the brilliant Fool's Parade, might have had the misfortune to duck under the radar a couple of years ago, but the well-timed Mick Jagger duet "Nothing But The Wheel" should shine a well deserved spotlight on Sleepless. Sounding like an Exile On Main Street escapee, "Wheel" is country blues incarnate, and Jagger and Wolf push each other to great heights. Wolf juggles blues, folk, soul and rock like a master, serving up a delicious stew that can be on any menu that features prime meat like Van Morrison, Bob Dylan and John Hiatt. Wolf co-writes a couple with collaborator and friend Will Jennings, unearths a beautiful soul chestnut ("Never Like This Before"), and takes the Geils smash "Homework" back to its roots. Some thought Wolf was past his prime, but Sleepless proves he might just now be entering it.
BEN KWELLER: Sha Sha (ATO)
Ben Kweller's music is like a viral infection; while there isn't a track that immediately interrupts your brain flow to announce its presence, his charming and melodic songs eat their way into your heart and there's not a damned thing you can do about it. During your first listen to Sha Sha one or two songs will rise above the fray - perhaps the jangly "Family Tree" (imagine the Jayhawks tackling "I'm Only Sleeping") or the clever and Fountains Of Wayne-ish "Wasted & Ready." But the next thing you know, you're bouncing in your car, belting out the chorus of "Commerce, Texas." Don't let Kweller's shy persona and delicate voice deflect your attention from his solid songwriting chops. "In Other Words" and "Falling," two of the record's best songs, would sound right at home on Todd Rundgren's Runt or Ben Folds' Rocking The Suburbs. And on a pitch-perfect pop song like "Walk On Me" he can even slip in a word like "super-mega-ultra-sad" and get away with it. Yes, there are artists that can rise above the teen queens, rap gangstas and faux-metal heads. This year's rookie call-up, Ben Kweller, has the stuff to dazzle. It's time to give him the ball.

JOHN SEKERKA

LANGLEY SCHOOLS MUSIC PROJECT: Innocence & Despair (Bar-None)
One of those sleeper records that only picked up little puffs of steam in sporadic bursts throughout the year. Recorded way back in the mid-seventies by public school kids wading their way through radio staples of the day in a breathtaking, enthusiastic manner. Innocence and despair is a great title, but they could have added bewildering, spine-chilling and heart-warming. Reality TV comes to CD, but without the exploitation. Must be heard to be believed. Spread the word.
HANK WILLIAMS III: Lovesick, Broke & Driftin' (Curb)
Hank proves to be the real deal, taking his grandpappy's lineage to the next step, providing sweet country music in a contemporary manner that puts everyone in Nashville to shame. Not only can he play, but number three shows he's a fine writer to boot.
REVEREND HORTON HEAT: Lucky 7 (Artemis)
The reverend himself pulls out all the stops and dishes out enough devil music sinnin' to last a lifetime. Bible-belting, lighter-fuelled rockabilly scorchers to the sorry souls down on our collective knees - we need this, and then we need it some more.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Total Lee! (Astralwerks/City Slang)
A tribute to Lee Hazelwood couldn't have come off better. And since many songs are long lost gems, they seem damn fresh. From a time when songwriters knew what the hell they were doing. And just to seal it, this lovingly crafted comp contains a great train song in "Railroad."
VARIOUS ARTISTS: The Bottle Let Me Down (Bloodshot)
Easily the album of the year, and one the kids will enjoy almost as much as the adults. Big, uproarious F.U.N. A swinging great time for the whole family courtesy of folks like Robbie Fulks, Alejandro Escovedo and Kelly Hogan. Double dare ya not to like it.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
What's a top five list without sneaking in a bunch more to bend the rules eh? Here's a smattering of records that might have made the big list had I eaten something else for breakfast this morning: KING KONG: The Big Bang (Drag City), SWEATMASTER: Sharp Cut (Bad Afro/Fusion), CYPRESS HILL: Stoned Raiders (Columbia), CUFF THE DUKE: Life Stories For Minimum Wage (Three Gut Records), PERE UBU: St Arkansas (SpinArt), TOM WAITS: Alice / Blood Money (Anti), NINA NASTASIA: The Blackened Air (Touch & Go), WILCO: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Nonesuch), NEKO CASE: Blacklisted (Mint/Bloodshot), ELENI MANDELL: Snakebite (Zedtone), HOT HOT HEAT: Knock Knock Knock (Sub Pop), CODY CHESNUTT: The Headphone Masterpieces (Ready Set Go!), FREDRIC GARY COMEAU: Hungry Ghosts (Audiogram), PAUL KELLY: ...Nothing But A Dream (True North)

GARY "PIG" GOLD
Check out Gary's Top Picks in his monthly PIGSHIT column.

That's it for this year. A big thank you to all of you with 56k modems who hung in there while this monster loaded. We hope everyone found some interesting titles to look into, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we did. We'll see you next year with our lists of albums that haven't been made yet. Kind of strange when you think of it that way, isn't it? Happy new year, everybody.

(C) 2003 - Cosmik Debris Magazine